Learning to Teach Well to Save Languages

Learning to Teach Languages Well to Create New Speakers and Speech Communities

Right now there are two important goals for Michif--one is the creation of new speakers and speech communities and the other community-based documentation of natural Michif conversation and stories. This campaign focuses on the former.

With our fluent Elders remaining time with us being short, we need to learn best and promising practices in second language acquisition now. We use Master-Apprentice Program techniques but need to add to our toolbox of best and promising practices. I in my view the best people to learn from are Indigenous and ally instructors/coaches/mentors who have developed successful methods and techniques rooted in evidence-based research and that have been tested through years of personal experience.

This funding (total of CA$3,381.51 required) will allow me to attend a five-day "Comprehensible Input" (CI) training with Wade Blevins, a Cherokee language instructor and Indigenous CI trailblazer, Tina Hargaden, an inspired and inspiring CI professional development specialist and super teacher and their associates. Below is the course information that will allow me to hit the ground running and start passing on my learnings to other instructors of Indigenous languages.I have been actively involved in Indigenous language revitalization for over 15 years. My language of special focus is (Southern) Michif but I love ALL the languages we Michif, our kin and relations speak.

Special Note: Tina Hargaden so believes in the cause that she has waived my tuition costs! Thank-you, Tina!

BICS: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills, for students with Novice to Intermediate Low proficiency.

These five-day trainings include:

Half-day demonstrations of instructional strategies (with Wade Blevins)

Half-day nuts and bolts on instruction, management, and assessment, and partner coaching so participants can practice their skills (with Tina Hargaden)

For more information: https://ciliftoff.wildapricot.org/event-3063586

Please help me on my way to helping others on theirs!